The reason

On days like today during the last couple of years of my tenure down at the plant I would occasionally remark to a fellow serf, say, upon returning to the building from an errand or task that had taken us outside of the factory building, that there were only a finite number of days like today in any person's life and that there were not enough of them left in my hours upon the stage to make it reasonable for me to spend even one more of them on the fourth floor of a building with windows that do not open. Overall, yesterday was probably a bit nicer than today by most people's estimation. For me, I love fall, I don't know why it takes a day like today every year to remind me of that fact. But fall is my favorite and a day like today . . .

Well, today is the reason why I no longer participate in activities down at the plant. Today was OOTN(Fall)DITHOD. And today was also Monday, a day when in my past life I would have been inside that building without windows that open. Today was a day to be outside. Today was the reason.

So naturally, we rode our bicycles.

I got this photo of the GRider at Oasis Park, the site of Tiffany's greatest hits.We played at that field for two years. During the second of those years Tiffany was the best 5th grade girl softball player in Roseville, by a lot. I wish I had the statistics because it was almost scary how good she was. We played seven games (and won them all, the undefeated Rangers), I am going to say she must have had at least 14 home runs, maybe more. And most of her home runs were not kiddie league home runs. A kiddie league home run is a well struck ball that no one will pick up until it stops rolling allowing the striker of the ball to run and run and run.

Tiffany's typical home run was an absolute smash well over the heads of the unsuspecting outfielders which even if chased with determination could not be returned to the infield before Tiffany and whichever of her teammates were on base had crossed home. Our line up that year was always Amy, Leah, Emily, Tiffany and those three in front of Tiffany scored on many of her hits. I distinctly remember one game where she had three home runs including two grand slams. The best player in the league. By a lot.

The other of the two years we played there we had the best 5th grade actress in Roseville on our team. We were practicing over there on the far side of the skinned infield for our first game of the season. Libby, our actress and also a fairly useful infielder and hitter, was also in late rehearsals at that same time for her part as the title character in the Children's Theater Company production of "Annie". She was the best actress in the league. By a lot. She would later have a TV series and the last time I heard she was still working as an actress and although she is anything but a major star she was without any doubt the best actress in Roseville. It's okay, Tiffany isn't a major star anymore either.

Anyway, she was playing catch with, well, I won't tell. She violated one of the basic rules of catch of which there are two. One, make sure the other person is looking before you throw them the ball. And two, make sure the other person is NOT throwing you the ball before you look anywhere but at them. The ball bounced, from a softball perspective, harmlessly off her cheekbone. From a Children's Theater Company perspective, their lead had a major black eye.

Our practice, if I recall correctly was on a Wednesday and opening night was Friday. But it worked out okay. The Children's Theater Company is professional theater and they employ make up artists for just such a situation.

Speaking of fall, here is the first evidence I have seen of corn harvest. It began today.A special shout out to all my friends at the factory. Today you should have been out here with me.